Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade

Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. But this is one of the clearest and most informative ever put into audio. As a commander in Stonewall Jackson's brigade, John Casler experienced all the horrors and comedy of the American Civil War. His time was not so different from his countrymen on the other side, with the exception of point of view.

D DAY Through German Eyes: The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944

Almost all accounts of D-Day are told from the Allied perspective, with the emphasis on how German resistance was overcome on June 6, 1944. But what was it like to be a German soldier in the bunkers and gun emplacements of the Normandy coast, facing the onslaught of the mightiest seaborne invasion in history? What motivated the German defenders, what were their thought processes - and how did they fight from one strong point to another, among the dunes and fields, on that first cataclysmic day?

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Harriet Jacobs’ autobiography, written under the pseudonym Linda Brent, details her experiences as a slave in North Carolina, her escape to freedom in the north, and her ensuing struggles to free her children. The narrative was partly serialized in the New York Tribune, but was discontinued because Jacobs’ depictions of the sexual abuse of female slaves were considered too shocking. It was published in book form in 1861.

All for the Union: The Civil War Diary and Letters of Elisha Hunt Rhodes

All for the Union is the astonishing and eloquent diary of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, the Union soldier featured in Ken Burns' highly acclaimed PBS television documentary The Civil War. Enlisting as a private in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, Rhodes fought in every major campaign waged by the Army of the Potomac, from Bull Run to Appomattox. Here, in his own powerfully moving words, Rhodes reveals why he was willing to die to preserve his beloved Union.

Bill O'Reilly's Legends and Lies: The Patriots

The must-have companion to Bill O'Reilly's historical docudrama Legends and Lies: The Patriots, an exciting and eye-opening look at the Revolutionary War through the lives of its leaders. The American Revolution was neither inevitable nor a unanimous cause. It pitted neighbors against each other as loyalists and colonial rebels faced off for their lives and futures. These were the times that tried men's souls: No one was on stable ground, and few could be trusted.

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

The dust storms that terrorized America's High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since, and the stories of the people that held on have never been fully told. Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist and author Timothy Egan follows a half-dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region.

History of Andersonville Prison, Revised Edition

In February 1864, 500 Union prisoners of war arrived at the Confederate stockade at Anderson Station, Georgia. Andersonville, as it was later known, would become legendary for its brutality and mistreatment, with the highest mortality rate--more than 30 percent--of any Civil War prison. Fourteen months later 32,000 men were imprisoned there.

The Foundations of Western Civilization

What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.

Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of those Who Survived

Although we think we know the story of the Titanic - the famously unsinkable ship that hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Britain to America in April 1912 - little has been written about what happened to the survivors after the tragedy. How did the loss of the ship shape the lives of the people who survived? How did those who were saved feel about those who perished? And how did they remember that terrible night?

Tigers in the Mud: The Combat Career of German Panzer Commander Otto Carius

World War II began with a metallic roar as the German Blitzkrieg raced across Europe, spearheaded by the most dreaded weapon of the 20th century: the Panzer. No German tank better represents that thundering power than the infamous Tiger, and Otto Carius was one of the most successful commanders to ever take a Tiger into battle, destroying well over 150 enemy tanks during his incredible career.

Bette & Joan: The Divine Feud

This joint biography of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford follows Hollywood's most epic rivalry throughout their careers. They only worked together once, in the classic spine-chiller What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, and their violent hatred of each other as rival sisters was no act. In real life they fought over as many men as they did film roles.

The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier

On New Year's Day in 1870, 10-year-old Adolph Korn was kidnapped by an Apache raiding party. Traded to Comanches, he thrived in the rough, nomadic existence, quickly becoming one of the tribe's fiercest warriors. Forcibly returned to his parents after three years, Korn never adjusted to life in white society. He spent his last years living in a cave, all but forgotten by his family.

Waiter to the Rich and Shameless: Confessions of a Five Star Beverly Hills Server

Waiter to the Rich and Shameless is not just a peek into the secretive inner workings of a legendary five-star restaurant; it is not just a celebrity tell-all or a scathing corporate analysis. It is a top-tier waiter's personal coming-of-age story, an intimate look into the complicated challenges of serving in the country's most elite, Hollywood-centric dining room while fighting to maintain a sense of self and purpose.

The American Civil War

Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.

Chickenhawk

With more than half a million copies sold, Robert Mason's Chickenhawk is one of the best-selling books ever written about the Vietnam War. Fascinated with flying from a young age, Mason earned his private pilot's license even before graduating high school. He enlisted in the army in 1964 and endured an extremely challenging "weeding out" process in an effort to fly helicopters. Sent to Vietnam, he survived more than 1,000 air combat missions despite the violence and brutality exploding all around him.

Combat Crew: The Story of 25 Combat Missions over Europe from the Daily Journal of a B-17 Gunner

John Comer kept a journal of the 25 missions he flew in 1943, when the casualty rate on his base was close to 80 percent. His book is handwritten history, recorded within hours after the battles occurred. Comer vividly creates his experiences as top-turret gunner/flight engineer in a B-17 squadron that was thrown against the best pilots the Luftwaffe could offer.

Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography

Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography is an intimate look at the day-to-day dealings of a drug kingpin in the heart of the ghetto. It's also the story of a boy born in poverty in Texas who grew up in a single-parent household in the heart of South Central, who was pushed through the school system each year and came out illiterate. His options were few, and he turned to drug dealing. This untold autobiography is not only personal, but also historical in its implications.

The Storm of Steel

This classic war memoir, first published in 1920, is based on the author's extensive diaries describing hard combat experienced on the Western Front during World War I. It has been greatly admired by people as diverse as Bertolt Brecht and Andre Gide, and from every part of the political spectrum. Hypnotic, thrilling, and magnificent, The Storm of Steel is perhaps the most fascinating description of modern warfare ever written.

Audible Editor Reviews

Andersonville Diary: A True Account is the harrowing diary of John Ransom, a 20-year-old Union soldier who was captured then detained in Andersonville, Georgia, at a Confederate prison camp.

This true story begins in the fall of 1863 when Ransom became a prisoner of war in Tennessee. In plain-spoken language and startling detail, Ransom writes unflinchingly about the unsanitary conditions of the camp that sees 140 prisoners dying daily. At other points, before eventually escaping, Ransom suffers from scurvy and starvation.

Adrian Cronauer serves up his restrained, earthy performance with a slight Southern drawl.

Publisher's Summary

Almost 10 times as many men died in the Civil War prison camps of the North and South as were killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. One such camp was Andersonville, where Union soldiers like Brigade Quartermaster John L. Ransom of the Ninth Michigan Cavalry, were subjected to hunger, disease, cruelty, and despair. Captured in November 1863, Ransom kept his spirits and courage up enough to survive and record this compelling true account of his experiences.

(P) Recorded Books, Inc.

What the Critics Say

"It is one of the best of the many fine first-hand accounts that have come down to us from the Civil War." (Bruce Catton) "Adrian Cronauer's reading is flawless and riveting." (Kliatt Magazine)

While I had heard the name and knew it to be a terrible place this book gave the horrid details. Born and raised in the old south I wish it were not true, but it is. The amazing thing is that the author really lived through it all. An detailed account of a man who went through Andersonville and in the end was saved by friends who cared. This is a book we should all read or listen to as a part of our history. This book also brought out the importance of keeping a personal journal so that history will not be lost.

I'll start by giving three cheers to another volunteer from the Wolverine State. Only Michigander would be so stout as to live thru Andersonville, escape, and make it back to Union lines with expiring. Well, maybe not just a Wolverine but darn close.

John L. Ransom gives a harrowing account of what life was like in Andersonville, and Rebel prisons as a whole. He kept (3) diaries, carrying them with him every step of the way to share his story though he was certain (at times) people would never read what he wrote. He was one of countless prisoners whom endured the captivity but did so in Georgia. And he is even a smaller fraction of those who lived to tell about.

If you can get past the oration of Adrian Cronauer, who always sounded like Paul Harvey (WJR in Detroit), then you might enjoy this. Otherwise it my be a longer road than escaping from a Rebel prison.

What an amazing saga! If you did not know it was fact, you would believe that only fiction could be so cruel, and portray such a tale of human suffering and endurance. We take for granted the suffering of others in securing the priveledges that we have. I recommend this highly.

This is an incredible account of Sargent John Ransom who survived the horrors of the confederate prison camp of Andersonville. I am interested in history, particularly U.S. Civil War history and I would listen to this book again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Andersonville Diary?

What is most memorable to me about this diary is Sargent Ransom's ability to keep a positive attitude amongst the horrors of his confinement. I'm deeply touched by the concern demonstrated by many of the soldiers towards each other. This concern, along with Sargent Ransom's positive attitude, are what I believe saved Sargent Ransom from perishing while a prisoner in Andersonville.

Which character – as performed by Adrian Cronauer – was your favorite?

Sargent Ransom

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I would not make a film of this book. No film could do it justice.

Any additional comments?

After listening to Sargent Ransom's diary, Memorial Day holds more meaning to me. So many soldiers fighting in the Union Army died in Andersonville prison camp. Our soldiers are brave people and worthy of our respect and remembrance for their sacrifice in service to our country.

The story is riveting, shedding light on the horrors of Andersonville. Yet, Adrian Cronaurer does a great performance as narrator, John L. Ransom was young during his imprisonment at Andersonville and a younger narrator would have been better.